Biosse, Godfrey Victorious in Rhode Island

By Stephen Tobey at ringside

LINCOLN, R.I. – Super middleweight Vladine Biosse of Providence, R.I. picked up another victory when Michael Walchuk did not answer the bell for the sixth round of a scheduled eight on Thursday at the Twin River Events Center.

Biosse, 14-1-1 (7), wore down the Canadian-born Walchuk with his body attack. Walchuk, 9-6 (2), landed occasionally with one-twos but by the fifth round, Biosse’s pressure got the better of him. In the final minute of the fifth, Biosse landed straight left hands that drove Walchuk from one end of the ring to the other.

“My coaches told me I had a lot left,” said Biosse. “I landed the up jab to the sternum. I got him with the hook then that punch. I knew after that, I’d either get him or he’d stop fighting.”

At the end of the fifth, Walchuk’s corner told referee Joey Lupino that he did not want to continue. This was Walchuk’s fourth loss in his last five fights.

Former North American Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Matt Godfrey of Providence snapped a two-fight losing streak with a fifth-round stoppage victory over Jesse Oltmanns of Bartonsville, Pa. in a scheduled six-rounder.

Referee Dan Schiavone stopped the fight 10 seconds into the fifth after Godfrey landed a straight left and a right hook that snapped Oltmanns’ head back. Godfrey, 21-3 (11), dropped Oltmanns with a short left hook in the second round. Godfrey stunned Oltmanns at the end of the fourth with a left uppercut after two straight lefts.

“It’s difficult to get fights at cruiserweight in the United States,” Godfrey said. “Most small heavyweights would rather stay there than lose 10 pounds. I could be a heavyweight here or fight at cruiserweight in Europe.”

Oltmanns dropped to 10-4 (7).

This was Godfrey’s first fight since June of last year when he dropped a 10-round decision to Lateef Kayode. In the fight before that, Marco Huck stopped Godfrey in five rounds in a bid for the World Boxing Organization cruiserweight title.

“I’ve been in the gym the whole time,” Godfrey said. “I was going to fight in December but my elbow was injured. I wasn’t 100 percent for Kayode. He was still the better fighter that night.”

Super middleweight Keith Kozlin of West Warwick, R.I. won a six-round unanimous decision against Reynaldo Rodriguez of Woonsocket, R.I. The scores were 60-54 (twice) and 58-56. Kozlin is now 7-3-1 (4); Rodriguez is 6-5-1 (3).

Kevin Cobbs of Burlington, Vt. outpointed Donte Wiggins of Queens, N.Y. in a four-round super middleweight bout. The scores were all 39-36. Cobbs is 5-0 (1); Wiggins is 1-1 (1).

Thomas Falowo of Pawtucket, R.I. earned a victory over Rahman Yusubov of Dallas when Yusubov failed to answer the bell for the fifth round of a scheduled six at middleweight. Falowo improved to 7-1 (5); Yusubov dropped to 8-9 (6).

Middleweight Dennis Ogboo of Lexington, Ky. stopped Benny Costantino of Warwick, R.I. in the fourth round of a scheduled four. Referee Dan Schiavone stopped the fight at 1:04 of the fourth after Costantino took a right hand, then a knee. When he got up, Costantino told Schiavone he no longer wanted to fight. Ogboo is now 7-5 (6); Costantino is 7-2 (4).

Zack Ramsey of Springfield, Mass. stopped Damon Antoine of Akron, Ohio in the fourth and final round of a junior welterweight fight. Ramsey, 2-0 (2), dropped Antoine in the second and third rounds. Joey Lupino stepped in to stop the fight at :49 of the fourth. Antoine dropped to 10-39-2 (5).

In a battle of debuting junior welterweights, Luis Cruz of New York knocked out Jansy Rivera of San Juan, P.R. in the first round of a scheduled four. Cruz dropped Rivera twice. After the second knockdown, Dan Schiavone stopped the fight without a count at 1:28.